How To Research Family History In United States Unincorporated Territories

The five U.S. Unincorporated Territories

Unites States Unincorporated Territories refer to five permanently inhabited territories which are under U.S. sovereignty but not treated as integral parts of the United States. These territories are Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa. A key difference between these territories and the rest of the United States is that the U.S. Constitution only partially applies in them and their residents.

Researching family history in these territories can be particularly challenging. Records are often scattered, fragmented, or have been destroyed. Multiple languages have been used during the territories' history. Place names have changed over time. And there are differences in record-keeping practices between each territory and with that applying for standard U.S. genealogical sources. Finally some records, especially those related to the indigenous peoples of the Unincorporated Territories, may be subject to legal restrictions or require permission from a third party such as a relevant community body. These restrictions can limit access to recent or sensitive documents, further complicating genealogical research.

How the Unincorporated Territories became part of the United States and how they differ from incorporated states and territoriesHow the Unincorporated Territories became part of the United States and how they differ from incorporated states and territories

Each of the Unincorporated Territories became part of the United States through a mix of historical events -- wars, treaties, purchases, annexations and international agreements:

• Puerto Rico and Guam were both acquired from Spain in 1898 as a result of the Spanish–American War, their new status formalised by the Treaty of Paris that year.
• American Samoa was annexed in 1899 following agreements with Britain and Germany, the other colonial powers who along with the U.S. had shared administrative control of the Samoan islands.
• U.S. Virgin Islands were purchased from Denmark in 1917 for $25 million (equivalent to about $500 million in 2025 dollars).
• Northern Mariana Islands became a U.S. territory after World War II as part of the United Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and later entered a political union with the U.S.

The Virgin Islands, 1918, just after the U.S. completed its purchase from Denmark

Unincorporated Territories are generally not intended for eventual statehood. Over time Congress had determined their political and legal status, with further interpretations by the U.S. Supreme Court in a series of what are called Insular Cases. As a result there is only limited application of the U.S. Constitution in the Unincorporated Territories. Certain Constitutional rights and protections considered "non-fundamental" do not automatically apply to their residents. Second, these residents generally cannot vote in U.S. presidential elections and they do not have voting representation in Congress. Third, in some Unincorporated Territories (such as Puerto Rico) residents are not subject to federal income tax on income earned within that Territory.

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Challenges when researching family history in the Unincorporated TerritoriesChallenges when researching family history in the Unincorporated Territories

News reports on the Spanish American War, May 1898

The varied political and social history of each of the Unincorporated Territories can make researching family history a difficult task. For the reasons already explained information available online is inconsistent and, in many cases, fragmentary. A starting point is the understand the specific territory's background and build a research strategy that takes that into account:

• Puerto Rico was once a Spanish colony so genealogical records such as civil registration, church documents and census data before 1898 are usually in Spanish.
• Guam was also previously a Spanish colony. Historical records could be in Spanish but also the native language of the Chamorro people, who are indigenous to the Mariana Islands.
• U.S. Virgin Islands were originally Danish but there were also periods of British occupation and Dutch influence. So official records may include documents in Danish, English or a Dutch creole dialect that was once spoken by the native population.
• American Samoa historical records are limited and those relevant to the indigenous Samoan population often rely on oral or community-based rather than official documentation.
• Northern Mariana Islands has a complex colonial history involving Spanish, German, Japanese and the U.S administration. Some records may have been lost, destroyed or may reside in various locations spread among these different former colonial powers.

See alsoSee also

• United States
• United States family history records
• US National Archives
• Puerto Rico historical records
• Puerto Rican surnames
• Spanish-American War
• Spain
• Polynesian ethnicity
• Samoan surnames

Explore more about researching Family History In United States Unincorporated TerritoriesExplore more about researching Family History In United States Unincorporated Territories

Federal and Territorial Censuses

• U.S. Federal Censuses include data for Puerto Rico. The 1899 census is also available also through MyHeritage.
• Fragments of American Samoa and Northern Mariana Islands census are held as part of the U.S. National Archive's Pacific Region collection in San Francisco.

Church and Civil Registration

• Puerto Rico: Parroquia (vital) records -- baptisms/marriages/deaths -- some going back as far as 1645 are available online through the FamilySearch catalogue.
• U.S. Virgin Islands: Lutheran/Danish church registers (late 1600s–1917) and civil registers post-1917 can be found through the Records of the Government of the Virgin Islands held by the National Archives.
• Guam & North Marianas: Archdiocese of Agana holds sacramental records from late 1600s and civil registries from about 1899. However their Archive is currently (July 2025) closed due to relocation of the records. Contact the Archdiocese directly to check for records availability. The Guam National Center for Health Statistics holds vital records for the territory back to 1901. The Library of Congress hold some records covering Spanish colonial rule for both Guam and North Marianas.
• American Samoa: The National Library of New Zealand website offers a useful guide on Family History resources related to the Pacific Islands (including American Samoa). This guide includes links to the main online sources. Some historical American Samoa vital records (1850 to 1930) have been microfilmed by FamilySearch and can be search via its catalogue.

Land, Probate, and Court Records

• Municipal archives spread across the Unincorporated territories such as San Juan, Charlotte Amalie, Hagatña, Saipan and Pago Pago house records such as deeds, wills and probate files. However a physical visit to the archive may be required to access this information. Contact the archive of interest for further information on record access.
• The University of Hawaii provides a guide on how to access documents, photographs and other material from the records of the former Trust Territory Government (Micronesia).

Military and Immigration Records

• The National Archives holds files on local Territorial units such as Guam Army National Guard and the American Samoa Scouts as part of the Archives military records collection.
• MyHeritage's data collection includes passenger lists for movements to/from ports in the Unincorporated Territories.

References

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